Ski device with demountable wheels



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Oct. 1, 1968 Filed Feb. 18, 1966 If i R. 1.. WEIBLING 3,403,919

SKI DEVICE WITH DEMOUNTABLE WHEELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3

Robert L. Weibling l-NVENTOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n R. w fig 1 kw 11b 6 3? M 4 l I I i. r. u wk Qk mm 8 m w N\ &/ mm N\ mmm W M Fm v Q mm. C O\ Wk M M 9 t Y m M LW u m Oct. 1, 1968 R. 1.. WEIBLING SKI DEVICE WITH DEMOUNTABLE WHEELS Filed Feb. 18, 1966 Oct. 1, 1968 R. L. WEIBLING SKI DEVICE WITH DEMOUNTABLE WHEELS 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed Feb. 18, 1966 Robert L. Weibling INVENTOR.

R. WEIBLING SKI DEVICE WITH DEMOUNTABLE WHEELS Oct. 1, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 18, 1966 Roberf L. Weibling INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,403,919 SKI DEVICE WITH DEMOUNT ABLE WHEELS Robert L. Weibling, 5041 E. Lake Road, Shel'field Lake, Ohio 44054 Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 528,470 13 Claims. (Cl. 2807.13)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A convertible ski including an elongated ski-shaped and panel-like body together with a pair of bottom panels or plates selectively securable to the ski body so as to underlie the latter, one of the bottom plates including a longitudinally straight undersurface for skiing over a fluent medium and the other of the bottom plates including longitudinally spaced vertical openings formed therein through which journaled support wheels mounted in downwardly opening cavities formed in the ski body and registered with the openings formed in the second bottom plate project so as to adapt the ski for movement over grass covered or bare ground surfaces.

This invention relates generally to a ski device, and more particularly to a year around convertible ski which may be utilized on snow, on grassy or hard bare slopes or in water.

Briefly, this invention comprises a convertible ski having a basic wooden ski body and various attachments for the body to enable the ski to be converted to snow, land or water usage. Specifically, a snow ski bottom of plastic-coated spring steel is mountable on the ski body by means of a snow top and locking strips. Also, a water ski bottom of molded plastic and including a rudder is mountable upon the Wooden ski body by means of a similar top and locking strips. Finally, the wooden ski body includes a plurality of wheel openings therein thereby enabling wheels to be mounted in place in the body in order to enable the ski to be used on land, in conjunction with yet another top and bottom member and the same locking strips.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible ski which may be used on land, snow or water.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a convertible ski which in one form includes spaced rollers to enable the ski to be employed upon dry and hard smooth surfaces with equal facility as upon snow covered surfaces, the wheels being so spaced as to provide optimum maneuverability on a flat hard surface.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a convertible ski which in its wheeled form provides wheels that are exposed only below the rotational axis thereof and therefore able to obtain high speeds and glide over irregularities with practically no slowing down.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a recreational device which is readily convertible for water, snow or land operation, the construction thereof being relatively simple While extremely rugged and utilitarian.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a convertible ski which may be readily and quickly converted from one mode of operation to another.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the ski comprising the present invention in its wheeled form;

ice

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial top plan view corresponding to one end of the ski illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear end elevational view of the ski as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 5 is a partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substanti ally on the plane of the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 illus trating the ski in a second preferred form;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration corresponding to the view illustrated in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 9-9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 10--10 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is an exploded perspective view of the snow ski form of the convertible ski comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 12 is an exploded View partially in elevation and partially in vertical cross-section illustrating the snow ski form of the invention in the same relationship as illustrated in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a side elevational view of the convertible ski illustrated in its water ski form;

FIGURE 14 is a bottom plan view of the form of the invention correwonding to FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is an end elevational view of the ski as illustrated in FIGURES 13 or 14; and

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 1616 of FIGURE 14.

Referring now to the drawings with more particularity, and specifically to FIGURES 1-6, reference numeral 10 generally denotes the convertible ski comprising the present invention. The convertible ski 10 basically consists of a body member 12 which is elongate and in ski shape, the body 12 being fabricated of wood and having an upward bend at the front end thereof as indicated by reference numeral 14 so as to correspond to the usual ski shape. At this point, it may be well to refer to FIGURES 11 and 12 wherein the ski body 12 is best illustrated. Thus, in these figures it will be readily observed that the ski body 12 is of substantial ski shape and includes a plurality of spaced wheel openings 16 longitudinally along the length thereof, the wheel openings being useful when the convertible ski 10 is used with wheels, as illustrated in FIGURES 1-6.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be observed that the ski body 12 has mounted in each of the wheel openings 16 a wheel 18. The wheels 18 are so spaced as to be supported with only a portion below the center axis thereof extending below the bottom of the ski whereby when the convertible ski 10 is used with wheels, if an object is hit by the wheels, the ski wont be stopped but the bottom will allow the ski to slide over the object. Thus, it will be apparent that very high speeds will be available when using the convertible ski with wheels 18 inasmuch as the ski will be able to glide over irregularities with a minimum of slowing down. Further, the spacing of the wheels is such that the skis will be able to be used on deep slopes, and it forward tilting occurs, the frontmost Wheel which normally is out of engagement with the slope surface will contact the surface enabling the ski to continue rolling thereover. It will also be observed that suitable bindings generally denoted by reference numeral 20 will be mounted on the ski, the bindings forming no part of the present invention.

Referring again to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be observed that the wheels 18 are mounted between a pair of pillow blocks 22 and 24 in the openings 16, the pillow blocks 22 and 24 being retained therein by pillow block screws 26 which extend through ski top 28. An axle 30 is supported between the pillow blocks 22 and 24 in the openings 16, and washers 32 are mounted on the axle 30 on opposite sides of the Wheel 18 which is also mounted thereon for rotation.

The top 28 referred to above includes a plurality of shrouds or raised portions 34 to accommodate the wheels. The shrouds 34 cover the tops of all of the wheels 18 as the top 28 extends the full length of the ski body 12. Further, as mentioned above, these pillow block screws 26 extend through the top 28 in order to support the pillow blocks 22 and 24 in the openings 16. Thus, it will be readily apparent that the wheels 18 are fully protected at the top of the ski by the shrouds 34. A pair of locking strips 36 and 38 are mounted over the top 28, the locking strip 36 being positioned at the front end of the ski as illustrated best in FIGURES 1 and 2 and terminating at a point 40, and the opposite locking strip 38 being positioned at the rear end of the ski terminating at a point 42. The locking strips include a plurality of keyhole slots 44 therein for receiving locking screws 46 in order to lock the strips 36 and 38 down over the top 28 to lock the top 28 on the body 12, while allowing the locking strips to be easily removed. Thus, it will be apparent that upon a loosening of the screws 46 the strips 36 and 38 may be easily moved forward and taken off by means of the keyhole slots. However, referring to FIGURE 3 in particular, it will be observed that several screws 48 are screwed directly into holes 49 in the locking strip 38 near the rear end thereof, and not into keyhole slots, and thus these screws 48 must be removed before the rear locking strip 38 can he slid forward and removed.

A bottom 50 including a plurality of openings 52 therein corresponding with the openings 16 in the body 12 is provided, the bottom being preferably of metallic material thereby presenting a smooth bottom surface. Thus, when obstructions are hit during the use of the ski 10, the ski will easily slide thereover. Further, the bottom 50 includes a plurality of upstanding tapped or internally threaded studs 54 thereon corresponding to openings 56 through the body 12. The top 28 includes depending bosses 58 thereon extending into the openings 56, and thus the locking screws 46 are received through the bosses 58 and screwed into the studs 54 and retain the bottom 50 in place on the bottom surface of the body 12 as well as retaining the top 28 and locking strips 36 and 38 on the top surface thereof. Thus, by referring in particular to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be observed that the openings 56 are spaced along the body 12, and the tapped studs 54 and hollow bosses 58 are spaced along the bottom 50 and top 28 respectively so as to be in alignment when the bottom 50 and top 28 are mounted in place on the body 12. It will be appreciated of course that the studs 54 are tapped in order to receive the threaded ends of lock screws 46 therein.

Referring now to FIGURES 7-12, it will be observed that the body 12 may be utilized with a snow ski bottom generally denoted by reference numeral 60, a snow ski top 62, as well as the same locking strips 36 and 38 whereby the device will be able to be utilized on snow in the same manner as conventional snow skis. The snow ski bottom 60 includes a plurality of spring clips 64 which are resilient metallic members mounted on the bottom 60 by rivets 66. Thus, referring to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12 in particular, it will be observed that the bottom 60 is substantially flat on the bottom surface thereof including a centrally located longitudinally extending archway 68 upon which the clips 64 are mounted, the clip arms 70 and 72 being normally expanded, but when the bottom 68 is mounted on the body 12, the clip arms are moved into the openings 16 and compressed as best illustrated in FIGURE 10. The clips thereby operate to hold the bottom 60 on the body 12. The bottom 60 includes a plurality of upstanding studs 74, substantially similar to the tapped studs 54 described above, the studs 74 also being tapped as illustrated in FIGURE 12 by reference numeral 76. Thus, when the bottom 60 is mounted in place on the bottom of ski body 12, the clips 64 extend into the openings 16 and the tap studs 74 extend into the openings 56.

The top 62 includes a plurality of depending bosses 78 substantially similar to the bosses 58 described above, corresponding to the openings 56 in the body 12 and tapped studs 74 on the bottom 60. The main purpose of the top 62 is to cover the openings 16, thus providing a smooth closed top surface on the ski body 12. The keyhole slots 44 of the lock strips 36 and 38 are aligned with the bosses 78 and apertures 82 in the top 62, the openings 56 in body 12 and tapped studs 74 on bottom 60. Thus, locking screws 84 may be utilized to further lock the bottom 60 on the body 12 in conjunction with clips 64, as well as locking the top 62 and locking strips 36 and 38 on the top surface of the body 12. However, the rearmost openings 49 on locking strip 38 are not slotted and hence the screws therein must be removed before the locking strip 38 may be removed.

In other material aspects, the ski device 10 when utilized as a snow ski as illustrated in FIGURES 7-12, is substantially identical to the ski device described in relation to FIGURES 1-6 above. Thus, the body 12 is a woo-den ski body with openings 16 therein and curved upwardly as indicated by reference numeral 14. The main difference there between is that the top 62 does not have the shrouds 34 thereon but is completely flat, including however, depending bosses 78 similar to the bosses 58 described above. Further, the bottom 60 is preferably a plastic-coated spring steel member which does not have wheel openings therein but rather is substantially flat on the bottom thereof including only the archway 68 on which the spring clips 64 are mounted. The bottom 60 does include however the tapped studs 74 substantially similar to the tapped studs 54 described above.

Referring now to FIGURES 13-16, it will be observed that the convertible ski 10 may be utilized as -a water ski, when the water ski bottom generally denoted by reference numeral 86 is mounted thereon. Thus, by referring to FIGURES 13-16, and particularly to FIGURE 16, it will be observed that the body 12 is utilized with the bottom 86 thereon, the bottom 86 comprising a molded plastic 'bottom with tapped headed studs 88 extending upwardly therefrom into the openings 56 in the body 12. A rudder 90 is integrally molded with the bottom 86, the rudder 90 being conventional in the art. A top 92 somewhat similar to top 62 described above but having only openings 94 therein and not depending bosses 78 is mounted over the body 12 and retained thereon by the same locking strips 36 and 38 by means of the locking screws 96. Thus, by referring to FIGURE 16 in particular, it will be observed that the locking screws 96 extend downwardly and are threaded into the tapped headed studs 88 in order to retain the bottom 86 on the body 12 as well as retaining the top 92 and locking strips 36 and 38 on the top surface thereof. However, in all other material aspects, such as for example the body member 12 and locking strips 36 and 38, this form of the invention is identical to those described above.

Accordingly, in view of of the above description, it should be readily appreciated that the basic ski 10 is the wooden ski body 12 having the apertures 16 therein and locking strips 36 and 38 having keyhole slots 44 for locking various bottoms and tops on the body 12. Thus, by use of the locking strips, a roller bottom 50 and special roller top 28 may be locked on the body 12, and wheels or rollers 18 suspended in the openings 16 in the body 12 from pillow blocks 22 and 24, which pillow blocks are hung in the openings 16 by means of screws 26 extending through the top 28. Further, when so desired, the device may be converted from this above-described form to a second preferred form by replacing the top and bottom with snow ski bottoms 60 and top 62 whereby the device may be used as snow skis. Still further, when so desired, the water ski bottom 86 and top 92 may be mounted on the body 12 whereby the device may be utilized as water skis.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A convertible ski device comprising, in combination, an elongate body member, said body member being of substantial ski-shape, a bottom member removably mounted on the undersurface of said body member, a top member removably mounted on the top face of said body member, means for releasably retaining both said top and bottom members on said body member, said body member including a plurality of spaced wheel-receiving chambers therein, axle-supporting means mounted in said chamber-s, axles supported by said axle-supporting means, wheels rotatably supported on said axles, said top member including spaced raised portions therein corresponding to the spacing of said wheel-receiving chambers in said body member.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said retaining means includes at least one locking strip mounted in overlying relationship to said top member.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said locking strip includes keyhole slots therein whereby said locking strip can be easily removed from said body member.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bottom member includes spaced apertures therein corresponding to the spacing of said wheel-receiving chambers in said body member.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said axle-supporting means are suspended on means connected to said top member.

6. A convertible ski device comprising, in combination, an elongate body member, said body member being of substantial ski-shape, a bottom member removably mounted on the undersurface of said body member, a top member removably mounted on the top face of said body member, means for releasably retaining both said top and bottom members on said body member, said body member including a plurality of spaced wheel-receiving chambers therein, said bottom member including spaced upstanding clip means thereon corresponding to the spacing of said chambers, said clip means received in said chambers when said bottom member is mounted on said body member for retaining said bottom member on said body member, the bottom surface of said bottom member being substantially smooth and closed.

7. The combination of claim 6 including spaced apertures through said body member, spaced upstanding studs on said bottom member corresponding to the spacing of said apertures, said studs being internally threaded, and retaining means mounted between said top member and said studs for retaining said bottom member on said body member.

8. A convertible ski comprising an elongated panellike body including front and rear ends and provided with an upwardly curving front end portion, said body including upper and lower plates overlying and underlying a central body member and secured to the latter at a plurality of points spaced therealong in order to form a laminated body structure, said body including a location spaced generally centrally intermediate its opposite ends adapted to have a foot binding secured thereto, said body member including a plurality of upstanding openings formed therethrough at points spaced therealong and centrally intermediate the opposite sides of said body, one of said openings being formed in theupwardly curving front end portion and first and second pairs of said openings being generally evenly spaced along said body member intermediate the first-mentioned opening and said location and between the latter and the rear end of said body member, said lower plate including openings registered with said plurality of openings, and a plurality of wheels journaled in said plurality of openings for rotation about parallel axes extending transversely of said body and which have less than their full lower half portions projecting below the undersurface of said lower plate.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said upper plate includes portions thereof spaced from but enclosing the upper portions of said wheels from above.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said portions of said upper plate include upwardly offset and downwardly opening cupped portions of said upper plate.

11. The combination of claim 8 wherein said lower plate is removably secured to said body and said wheels are removably journaled from said body, and a second lower plate removably securable to said body in lieu of said one lower plate after said wheels have been removed, said second lower plate being imperforate in the portions thereof underlying said openings, the undersurface of said second plate being generally longitudinally straight.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said second lower plate includes a depending rudder so as to adapt said ski for use as a water ski when said second lower plate is being used on said body member.

13. The combination of claim 8 wherein the wheel journaled in said one opening has its lowermost peripheral portion spaced appreciably above a generally horizontally disposed plane in which the lowermost peripheral portions of the other wheels are disposed, whereby said wheel in said one opening is normally spaced above a support surface being traversed by said ski.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,777,689 10/ 1930 Lofstrand. 2,230,235 2/ 1941 Davisson 2801 1.13 2,382,150 8/1945 Hartman 2801 1.13 XR 2,403,885 7/1946 Thompson 2807.13 2,485,756 10/ 1949 Meehan 280--7.13 2,545,209 3/1951 Meehan 28011.13

FOREIGN PATENTS 139,847 7/ 1930 Switzerland.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

